The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-02-02

phers, poets, orators and statesmen has beer
Told In the most distant lands. Her govern
ment, tuo, Is acknowledged by all to be better
for that country than all OF the di1ieren
forms Of government of the whole world.
Looking at The wealth, prosperity, and pow
er OF this great nation VIC know at once tha
she is Indebted to sonnet hing or some one io
H.. Now, granting that she owes all This 70 tht
two elements, Anglo-SaSOn and Norman
French, the question arises to which Of tht
two Is she most indebted for her prosperity
! Which Of the two hns acted the most prDmi
nent part In working out her des,iny9 . anu
lSt Character of the people and their litera
! turc.
end. Their government and manners,
My colleague will show 10 you That the liter
ature of the Anglo .SaXons has had a greater
influence on the English people than the Nor
man-French. He will also show To you Ina
the character of the AnglO-SaXons Lr excelleC
the chief element in forming the English ma
tion. While shall attempt to prove to yot
that the governments OF the Anglo!SaXons ial
eycelled that OF the Norman French, and thai
many of their laws, habits and customs have
been handed down to the English speakine
people OF to-day, and are still IN use In Amer
lea and England, shall show to you thai
! many of the most important institutions o.
England to-day are only hose OF the Anglo
SaXons In an improved state.
Ishall attempt TO prove 10 you that the Eng
lish Parliament, jury system, prime minister
courts and other parts of the government o.
England of to-day have descended directly
/, from the ancient Anglo-SaXons. Before going
into the debate let us see how these two dis
tinct elements happened to be In England
The inhabitants of what is now known as
England having been deserted by the Roman
army were hard pressed by the barbarlans
and they were looking around for help. with
promises of land and pay they persuaded ,e the
the bleak coast that hears the German ocean
roar, deep blooming, strong and yellow hair
ed, the blue eyed Saxon catne"-they came "a
stay-to settle 81 people and found state. we
are told that they were nn industrious and
stubborn people. Their hair grew long down
on their necks which had never been bent To
any man. 1t Is said of them that they could
not be conquered. With overwhelming forces
they might be crushed, but conquered; never.
This trait of character has descended to the
EngiShman to-day. That Is what made Eng
land what she now is. Her people are brave
and stubborn; their motto ever is never give
p."and in Il great measure England owes her
power to this trait of character which they in
herited from their Anglo-Saxon foretathers..
Next, let us notice the French,
cious warriors" who in the ninth century
penet rated France and settled there.
In 1865 the NorInans, in their Well-kn1t coat
Of mail. with sword and lance In hand, In
vadpd England and conquered II n the single
battle of Hastings. They were In hostile
country and ruled by the sword what they
had conquered by the sword: they SOM be-
came oppressors, the King went from snow
soil, levied taxes and built castles Tor himself
Men were forced to eat human flesh under the
pressure of consuming famine. The perish
ing sold themselves to obtai n food. Every
Norman soldier was made baron with the
Saxon rs his slave. Villages were destroyed
to make hunting ground for the King. In
other words the Inhabitants. the Saxons, were
so completely conquered that IL was six CEN
tnrioS bpfore thoy could overthrow their Nor
man orpressors.
Having now briefly noticed the manner in
which each of these two elements cime into
Great Britain, let\us now turn to the debate:
"The Anglo SaXons," says Faine. "wcre n
sea-faring people and devoted much Of their
time to the sea-" Now. let MS turn to Eng
people Of to-day. and what do we see In respect
10 their commerce? Along their whole coast,
here and there, you find ports swarining win
her vessels The high seas are whitened by
her sails, while there is not known country
on the face of the earth into whose waters the
gallant ships of England do not SAIL ask
now. IL this Is not great influence that our
Anglo Saxon foretatherS have exerted on
The people of to day. for 1t Is to them that we
litributc our scafaring nature. Following
their example. the English people have been
enabled to scatter their produce to all parts OF
The world, while their people are enabled to
Every part of England during Anglo.Sax0n
supremacy was divided into shires: To,
day she Is the same. England Is divided
into small blocks. each Of which Is called q
shire. This custom has remained in England
since the days when the SaXonS he'd sway
and is only small one OF the many customs
of the -AnglnSaXons which the English peo:
pie still adhere to. AS to her laws, many OF
the ancient laws Of the Anglo. SaSons still re-
main the same, and indeed on the statute
book of England today may he found laws
written in the Anglo Saxon language.
Greene, In his history of the English people,
says that the greater part Of the Anglo.Saxon
laws are still in use In England, and that most
of the laws of England to-day are founded on
centuries have passed down, generation after
generation has used them and found them
sufficient for the governingof the people. we
will not go into the whole code OF laws 10
prove this to your minds, but will give you
one example and only one 1t was one OF tne
laws of the AnglO-SaSons, that In the diVis-
ion of the property all the soma, legitimate
and illcgetimatc, shared the pr0perty equally,
of England to-day In reference To this? rs
the same and written in the same words ms
was that Of the Arglo-SaXons. Search the
pages Of Blackstone. the mighty law eSpound-
er Of England, and in them will he found not
only arcient Anglo-Saxon expressions hui
even rules and laws laid down that were used
ny this ancient race The fact That many OF
the laws of England to-day are the same as
the ancient Anglo-SaXOns and written, too,
some Of them, In the Ancio!SaSon language.
we say is undenable proof OF the great innn'
cnce that the SaNons had on the English
gentlemen, that even our days Of the week
arc named after their gods.
AS / have said, the government OF Englnna q
is acknowledged by all to be the best that
could be found for that country. Her rule is
mild. Her Parliament. like our Congress.
frames the laws of the land and seeks after
the welfare Of the subjects Of the land The
and prime minister Of the English govern
ment and would exchange his form OF govern.
ment for no other ahown form OF government
in the world.
from among the people. while her prime min;
lister is the leader OF the people, md IS looked
upon as the peoples friend. Now, MT. Presl.
dent and Gentlemen Of the Committee, we
propose to show that this form OF government
this Parliament and Prime Minister OF Eng.
land. are Of Anglo-SaXon origin. On ques.
ti"ns or war and peace and IN transactlnG nth-
or important business the Anglo-SaXon king
and wise men met in council. The warriors
met armed, and expressed their approval by
rattling on their armor,.their dissent by
murmnrs. "This," says Welsh, "was after.
wards known as the Parliament Of the great
Kingdom of England" Greene, in speaking
of the English Parliament says, "Parliament
is the same form MS was the council In which
the Angln.Saxon King and chiefs met for the
purpose of transacting business"
We think, gentlemen, that this proves con
cluSIvely that this great form Of government
this great body OF law ina kers, Is or Anglo
Saxon Origin. vi course IL Is Ill III ltnprostu
state, but still the seed that were sown by the
Anglo-Saxons are still to be seen growing
No one will deny that England Is proud OF her
Parliament. A writer In his essay on Eng
lish people says, but to all OF English birth
or descent its great glory is that In 1t the In.
stituiion which is EnGland's chief pride to
have founded-Parlialncnt- grew and was
sha ped into its present FORM"
The mere fact that Parliament is derived
from q French name, does not say that 1t Is 81
French institution. 1t was founded by the
Anglo. .Saxons, but afterwards took a French
name. America was discovered by Columbus